Bionic Fantasy Part 1
Fire and Water (火と水 Hi to Mizu) is the first segment of Bionic Fantasy. Characters * Vakama * Nokama * Tidus * Yuna * Jikanmu Story Chapter 1 The last thing Vakama remembered before he and the other Toa Metru were magically swept away to this foreign land was helping unload the last of the encapsulated Matoran from Metru Nui unto the shores of the island Mata Nui. He and his sister Toa Nokama wake up in the middle of Ga-Ao, the water region of the planet Ankoku Nui. It had been struck by a great flood that left few landmasses visible to the naked eye. "What in blazes is this place?" said Vakama as he and his friend came to, "Matau! Onewa!" Nokama too, called out for her brothers and teammates, whom she and Vakama immediately realized were absent. "Nuju, Whenua, if you can hear us, answer!" Vakama was scared half to death that something or someone may have took them away, probably to their deaths, Mata Nui forbid. He had too much on his conscience already; not stopping the Makuta of Metru Nui, who, unbeknownst to the Toa, is called Teridax, from instigating the Great Cataclysm, or preventing the death of Lhikan, Vakama was not willing to allow for one more such failure! As they searched for their comrades, if hopelessly, Vakama noticed an unconscious young man floating face down in the water. Nokama also spotted a young woman drifting slowly from the man Vakama just found. Neither Toa had ever seen humans before, but they weren't going to let them drown either, for that matter. Vakama waded towards the girl who was closer to him, while Nokama swam straight for the man, carrying him to the nearest remaining piece of land. She felt him around for a faint heartbeat, and remained by his side even as Vakama did his best to save the woman. Eventually, the young man opened his eyes, to Nokama's relief. "...Yu-Yuna... Where?" the young man said. "You're awake!" Nokama gasped, "Thank the Great Spirit!" The young man, who is called Tidus, flinched in surprise at the sight of the Toa who saved his life. "Ahh!" he cried, "Who are you? And where's Yuna?!" Vakama turned around to greet Tidus. "You mean her? She just woke up, so she's alright, I believe." The girl whom Tidus referred to as Yuna walked straight up to Vakama's side, assuring her friend she was alright. "They saved us from drowning, Tidus." Yuna says, and turns to Nokama, as Vakama walked towards her, "Whoever you are, you have our gratitude." Yuna bowed in respect to the Toa as they properly introduced themselves. "I am Vakama, and this is Nokama. We're Toa." "Whoa! What's a Toa?" Tidus asked curiously. But before either Toa could respond, they were approached by a vicious looking black and white creature with the head of a Rahkshi. The four didn't know what to make of this creature, only that it was looking to fight and kill them. "Allow us to explain later. We've got company!" Nokama said as she readied her Hydro blades for combat. The black and white creature parried as Nokama swung her weapons at it's direction. Vakama wanted to fight as well, but he had no weapon. His Kanoka Disc Launcher had been previously destroyed in an earlier skirmish between him and The Shadowed One, leader of the Dark Hunters, so he ordered Tidus and Yuna to stand back. Fortunately, this wasn't their first time fighting, so they pick up their weapons and engage the black and white creature. While the creature was occupied with Nokama, Tidus struck it from behind with his sword, the blade of which gleamed blue like the sun's rays on water. The creature screeched in pain as what seemed like machinery was exposed from underneath it's exo-skeleton. It was a robot! As Tidus and Nokama fought the robot up front with Yuna providing supporting fire with her twin handguns, Vakama searched desperately for some kind of weapon, or at least the materials to construct one. It was not long before he spotted his Disc Launcher, completely repaired by unknown circumstances, lying near the spot where he woke up. He had no time to dwell on how it got here, and picked it up, firing an energy projectile at the robot, damaging it further. His weapon had somehow gotten stronger, but again, this was not the time to wonder why. Nokama and Tidus continued hacking at the robot until it could fight no longer, and collapsed into a pile of scrap. "What in Mata Nui's name was that, a new type of Vahki?" Vakama wondered. "Maybe it's a kind of machina we've never seen before." Tidus guessed, "You think that's what brought us here?" "If not, it's at least connected to the real cause, I guess." Yuna replied. "Whatever this place is," said Nokama, "we must learn more about it if we're to even find a way back home, right?" Vakama nodded his head in approval. "Agreed. Will you two join us then?" Being the selfless and caring woman she is, Yuna wanted to help her new acquaintances find their way back to their native world. "Very well. Come on, Tidus!" As for Tidus, this wasn't his first time being ripped away from his home, so he knew how badly Vakama and Nokama wanted to return home, about as badly as he wanted to return to Zanarkand when he first ended up in Spira. "Right behind you." The four travelers began their journey. Chapter 2 Ga-Ao seemed to be a vast sea that stretched out endlessly, but there was an ancient city buried underneath the waters. Tidus swam to the bottom to investigate, with Nokama following suit. As they waited anxiously for any potential clue on where to go next, Yuna and Vakama took the time to know each other better. "You do realize there are four more of us to find before we go back to our world." Vakama told Yuna. "Whom?" "The Toa, my teammates, my brothers; Matau, Toa of Air, Nuju, Toa of Ice, Onewa, Toa of Stone, and Whenua, Toa of Earth." "So, there's six of you?" "Indeed. We've been through... much together. But what of you?" Yuna took some time to gather her thoughts, for there was much she could talk about. "My father was a High Summoner named Braska, who gave his life for the people of Spira." "Sounds like a man with the makings of a true Toa." Vakama said. "Of course, he wasn't much of a fighter like you or Nokama. He had two guardians by his side, Sir Jecht, father of Tidus, and Sir Auron. I want to follow in their selfless example for the good of Spira, and yet, here I am now, wanting to go back home." A tear ran down her cheek, and Yuna wipes it off with a solemn look on her face. "Do not worry, Lady Yuna. Stay by our side, at least until we find our brothers, and we'll do everything within our power to get you and Tidus home. I swear on my honor as a Toa." At the bottom of the ocean, Tidus and Nokama discovered a sunken temple in the city ruins, and go back to the surface for air, to mark the temple's location with a marking on the nearest landmass directly above it's immediate area. "Pretty impressed that you can hold your breath longer than Yuna. Hehe," Tidus laughed. "You could be a great blitzball player if you wanted!" "Blitzball?" asked Nokama, "Is that anything like Akilini?" Well that's the first I've heard of it, Tidus thought to himself, "Uh, no. You play it in this big sphere filled with water. I figure you'd be in your element in that sort of thing." Nokama burst out in a hearty laughter at Tidus' remark. He reminded her of Matau almost! "Your lady Yuna is so blessed to be with a man like you, staying cheerful in spite of our current situation!" Seeing her in such a happy mood made Tidus feel good inside, reminded him how much he loves Yuna. "Yeah, she's as special to me as she's beautiful. So I promised to be with her forever, no matter what!" Nokama dove in the water again to begin her search in the sunken temple and Tidus went in after her. Though they find barely anything inside but ancient writings, one of which said, "Beware the Vahkshi!" in the Matoran script, they soon found a sign with strange writing on it, pointing out to another part of Ankoku Nui, it seems. Nokama channeled power from her Great Mask of translation to deduce that the sign pointed north to a region called Po-Kassho. They go back up for air. "Wow!" Tidus exclaimed, "You tell what that sign says when I can't?" "My mask power allows me to translate foreign languages, to know how Rahi communicate." Nokama replied. There was so much the Toa could tell Tidus about the lore of their world, but before she can speak further, another black and white robot identical to the one that attacked earlier, lunged at the two and dragged them both down into the ocean floor, accompanied by a blue and red one that attempted to seize Tidus by the throat. He kicked it in the face before it could get a chance, but it's partner created a thick sheet of ice over the ocean, leaving Nokama and Tidus trapped, though Vakama was quick to take notice. "They're trapped!" Yuna gasped with horror. "Not if I can help it!" Vakama said as he mounted his disc launcher on his back, using it as a jetpack to rise up to the air and fired an energized blast of fire at the frozen ground below, melting a hole big enough for him to dive into as the robot that created the icy barrier was knocked down to the ocean floor. Vakama got the blue and red creature into a full nelson hold so Tidus could lop it's head off. "See ya!" The recovered black and white creature, clearly enraged by the death of it's brother, charged at Tidus, only to be attacked by Nokama, as Vakama and Tidus swam to safety. With her Hydro blades lodged into the robot's chest, Nokama swung them in circles and hurled the enemy into a water current to be swept away before she too, returned to the surface. The Toa and humans had little time for respite, however, as the creature broke free of the current and burst right out of the icy floor to continue it's attack. But as it closed in on it's prey, the robot was suddenly swallowed whole by a giant blue biomechanical whale. The force of it's entry was strong enough to shatter the sheet of ice to pieces, making the ocean fully accessible once more. "Like they say, there's always a bigger fish!" Vakama says as the others stared in awe. Was it one of Ankoku Nui's native Rahi, come to deliver them from danger? The answer proved to be the opposite when the whale, called Bismarck, leaped out of the water and after the group. They dodge it's area of impact, but are catapulted into the air and into a mound of sand. Yuna, Nokama, and Vakama landed safely, but Tidus found himself stuck upside down in the sand to his waist. The Toa pulled him out and dusted him off as he griped about the taste of sand in his mouth. "Just my luck! We got a whale of a problem on our hands here, people!" Tidus cried. The beast roared as it moved in from afar. Yuna fired her hand guns at it with no effect, as Nokama leaped onto it's back and lodged her blades into it's blowhole, hoping to steer it away from her group. Bismarck thrashed about in an effort to shake her off, but Nokama held tightly and reared it up into the air, leaving it's underside open to attack. Tidus uses his Energy Rain ability, followed by Vakama and Yuna firing their weapons at the creature's belly, making it roar in pain. "Yes! That's more like it!" Vakama yelled. The heroes moved aside before the beast fell back into it's normal swimming position to avoid it's next attack. Unfortunately, one of Nokama's blades got loosened out of place, and she struggled to maintain her grip, but she slipped off Bismarck's back and into the water. Bismarck made a U-turn to charge right at the group, opening it's mouth in anticipation of it's dinner. Thinking quickly, Vakama fired a supercharged energy blast from his disc launcher, past the mouth of Bismarck, and down the throat before setting off a deadly chain reaction in the belly of the beast. The defeated Bismarck crashed right into a distant shore, and breathed it's last. "Whew! So much for Sin!" said Tidus. "Shin?" Nokama questioned to what she misheard Tidus say as she got back out of the water. "Sin; The name we gave to a monster that threatened Spira for a thousand years." Yuna responded, restoring everyone's stamina with a Curaga spell. "But we stopped it a few years back." Tidus added, shaking excess water off his soaked clothes. "So where do we go from here?" Vakama asked. "I found a sign in the sunken city pointing this way," Nokama pointed to the north, "to Po-Kassho." "The region of Stone, I presume?" said Vakama, "If my assumption is correct, we should find Onewa there. Follow me!" Vakama motioned for his companions to to travel north with him, along a newly revealed trail of stepping stones, none of them noticing a mysterious warrior in golden armor watching them from afar. "...One down," he says, "seven to go...!" Chapter 3 Through the sands of Po-Kassho, the party trekked to the northwest for at least a day, keeping an eye out for more of the robotic dual-colored creatures. "Sorta half expected to see Cactaurs in the area." Tidus sighed, "Nasty little guys!" Soon they reached what appeared to be the main settlement for the inhabitants, if any still remain. "Hello?" Tidus called out. There was no response, so he decided to try something else. Putting his fingers between his teeth, Tidus produced a whistling sound, hoping someone would hear. "What was that?" Nokama asked. "Back home, we do this to cheer on blitzball players, or if we get separated." Yuna answered. "Though I doubt you could do that yourselves..." Tidus finished. "Well, if we do get lost," said Vakama, "just do that and we'll come running." But little did the group know, that aside from anymore robots, which the writings back in the sunken temple referred to as Vahkshi, there is also a serpentine creature that dwells in Po-Kassho, that might pick up on the whistling and strike when they least expect it. Nokama took Yuna to investigate one side of the village, while Vakama went with Tidus to check the other. "So what set you on the path to becoming whatever your world's equivalent to a Toa is?" Vakama inquired. Tidus didn't know where to start. Should he begin with his problems with his father Jecht? He hesitated for a while, but decided to get to the point. "It started when Sin attacked Zanarkand, and took me away from home, like a fish out of water. I ended up on Spira, where I met Yuna and became her guardian on her journey to defeat Sin. What's your story?" "I was a Ta-Matoran on Metru Nui, a mask maker chosen by Toa Lhikan, along with five other Matoran, to become the city's protectors in his stead." Vakama told his new ally, "But we couldn't stop the Makuta from putting the Great Spirit Mata Nui into a deep slumber. We were, however, able to get most if not all of Metru Nui's inhabitants to another island, where we hope to live in peace if we ever get off this planet and back home." "I know how you feel, man." Tidus said to his new friend, "I really do. But we gotta stay positive, and we'll make it somehow. Like my old man once said, I'll think of something." Hours passed, but Yuna and her guardians had no luck finding anyone else. Only occasional skirmishes with the Vahkshi at every few or so abandoned houses. "You don't think every person there is dead, do you?" Yuna asked Nokama nervously. "I sure hope not, for their sake!" Nokama replied as she went ahead of Yuna. But they stopped moving upon hearing a slithering sound. The next thing Yuna knew, she felt something hissing behind her. "Yuna, don't move!" The Toa of Water whispered, preemptively activating her mask power and turned around to face whatever creature is stalking them, and hopefully reason with it. But her translation powers were not working on the giant cobra, it turns out. It was Midgardsormr! "Look out!" Nokama shrieked. The cobra wrapped it's tail around Yuna to use her as a hostage as it spat tiny particles of sand with great force like a spray of bullets from a mini-gun in Nokama's direction, which she blocked by rapidly spinning her hybro blades like windmills. Yuna was so terrified, yet so fortunate her half-cousin Rikku wasn't in her current position, let alone her company, as Rikku is scared to death of snakes! She tried to wrestle her arms free so she can whistle for Vakama and Tidus to come running, but Midgardsormr's grip was too strong! Nokama couldn't whistle either, even if she wanted to, so she hurled a hydro blade at the monster. But it quickly bit on to her weapon and lifted Nokama into the air, intending to devour her as she fell. However, the Toa performed a mid-air somersault, landed right behind Midgardsormr and slashed at it, loosening it's grip on Yuna just long enough for her to free her left arm and whistle. Tidus and Vakama had just finished disposing of a pair of red and blue Vahkshi when they heard Yuna whistle for help, and spotted Midgardormr in the distance. "I'm coming!" Tidus yelled as he ran in the cobra's direction, with Vakama right behind him. Tidus felt himself running more quickly all of a sudden but why? "Hey, I don't remember casting Haste just yet!" Regardless, he got there in time and zipped past Midgardsormr five times exactly, as if making a large pentagram on the ground, slashing it's belly so that it loosens it's grip on Yuna. "You ok?" Tidus asked his love as he helped her back up. "I'm fine." Yuna replied with a sigh of relief, "But where's Vakama?" "I dunno, I just started running fast without using Haste when we were headed your way!" Tidus answered, "I just hope he's not falling behind!" "Whatever the reason is," Nokama said, "we gotta hang in there!" She launches a spinning attack with her hydro blades at the beast while Yuna casts Holy and Tidus searches the area for any remotely spherical object he can throw at it, spotting a discarded pot lying on the floor. It's not a blitzball, but I'm sure it'll work just as well, he thought. "Over here!" He called out to Midgardsormr, throwing the pot smack at it's horrific visage, shattering on impact. Yet neither of it's enormous fangs were broken off, nor did any shards get into the creature's eyelids to impair it's sight as he hoped. Tidus braced himself as Midgardsormr slithered his way, but when it was about to bite, it's fangs jerked themselves around, it seems, and broke right off! "What the?" said Tidus. Vakama appeared right out of thin air in front of him. "Of course!" Nokama cheered, "Way to use your mask power, brother!" Vakama had used his mask power of concealment to jump at Midgardsormr undetected and break it's fangs off! The cobra swept it's tail, tripping Tidus and Vakama onto the floor, but the Toa of Fire quickly got out his disc launcher and fired a razor thin energy disc at it's body. Yet, Midgardsormr's reflexes were quick enough so as to lower it's head, it's hood protecting the beast from the energy disc until it dissipates. "That's not good!" Tidus moaned. Midgardormr prepared to sweep it's mighty tail again, but a spear with a golden blade at it's tip shot out from seemingly nowhere, impaling the beast through it's stomach region. Then the spear magically removed itself from Midgardormr's body and went back exactly the direction it came from, like time was rewinding itself. "Oh my!" Yuna gasped. "What was that?" an astonished Vakama asked. The answer presented itself as a golden warrior walking towards the battlefield from far, with parts of his arms glowing red and blue. Vakama gasped at the sight of the familiar Kanohi mask the mysterious warrior was wearing, the Vahi. "The Mask of Time!" Perhaps the stranger took it while the Toa weren't looking, or he found it in another location altogether. "Is that a Toa of Time?" Nokama guessed. "There is no such thing, at least as far as I'm concerned!" The stranger grabbed Midgardsormr by the tail and shook it around like a rag doll, slamming it against the hard ground many times. "Either way, his power's incredible!" Vakama says. The mystery warrior threw the helpless Midgardsormr high into the sky, and as it came falling back down, he thrusts his spear into the air, piercing the armored hood and skewering the monster's head. Midgardsormr struggled in vain, but it was only a matter of seconds before the vile cobra's brain activity stopped completely and it was dead. The strange warrior planted his spear into the ground and walked towards the group. "Tell me, stranger," Vakama spoke, "are you, by any chance, a Toa?" "Indeed" the stranger replied, folding his arms across his armored chest. "I am Jikanmu, Toa of Time!" Everyone else gasped in disbelief. "I don't believe it," Vakama mused, "but if what you say is true..." "Wait," Tidus interrupted, "was it you who used that time magic on me earlier?" "What do you think, human?" Jikanmu replied rhetorically. I'll take that as a yes, the young man thought. "The creature I defeated for you was a Genjuu, as was the one you had slain in Ga-Ao." said the Toa of Time. "So that's what these giant Rahi beasts are called!" said Nokama, "But why did they attack us?" "Perhaps they are the cause of the maladies that ravage this planet, called Ankoku Nui," Jikanmu says as he retrieved his spear from Midgardsormr's corpse, "or they became hostile with extreme prejudice in response to the decay you see all around you. Either way, you'll come with me if you are to find the answers you seek, and save this world." Chapter 4 As the Toa and their human friends followed Jikanmu into the barren outskirts of Po-Kassho, Tidus was the first to break silence and make conversation with the Toa of Time. "Hey, just noticing;" Tidus spoke to Jikanmu, "the way you fight, it sorta reminds me of an old friend of mine called Kimahri. Did you steal his moves or something?" "Never even heard of him." Jikanmu replied flatly. "Can you spit fire?" "No." "Spit water?" "No!" "Spit seeds?" "NO!" Jikanmu roared, tiring of what he thought were pointless questions, based on the similarity of his fighting style and that of the Ronso Tribe. "Just because I remind you of someone you know back home, doesn't mean I know all their moves, let alone studied them! I've been fighting the Vahkshi for as long as I can remember, for your information!" Tidus face-palmed himself in disbelief at Jikanmu's reaction, but started to feel a little better when Yuna reaches out to his arm. "Don't take it so hard." she says to him. "Jikanmu really cares for this planet's well-being and takes our journey seriously." "Yeah, but did he have to talk down to me like that?" Tidus says before whispering, "He's kinda like how my old man used to be." Sorry dad, he thought. Yuna thought Jikanmu reminded her of her and Lord Braska's legendary former guardian Auron. But now Vakama has questions for the newcomer. Noticing the blade on his spear resembled a Chronicler's staff, Vakama could ask Jikanmu if he was a Chronicler back when he was a Matoran, but decided to save that for another time, given the task at hand. "By the way, how is it you've come to possess the Mask of Time?" Vakama asked the Toa of Time. "Let's just say you should be more careful with your valuables." Jikanmu answered. "And what are these Vahkshi you speak of?" "They are the machines you've been fighting across the planet up till now." "Who built them?" Nokama asked. "That's what we're gonna find out sooner or later." Jikanmu told her. Some minutes later, the group arrives at the site of a large, mysterious building with pipes running along the cracks in the ground and into the planet's innards. It was a Mako Reactor, the name and nature of which is entirely unknown to the humans and Toa alike, who gazed upon it in shock. "There!" Jikanmu said, pointing his spear at the top of the reactor, "This is the reason the planet's dying! It's life energy is being sucked out faster than it can replenish, by these massive constructs." "I see! We must go inside, reverse the flow somehow, and then destroy this wretched contraption." Vakama declared, "I'll go in first and take out their defenses." Utilizing his Mask Power, Vakama turns invisible, walks up the stairs, and into the building. He sees a trio of Vahkshi standing guard and secures a vantage point behind a support beam, waiting until all three had their backs turned before becoming visible again and fired a disc at them, setting off an explosion that launches one of them into a giant server box and the others across the floor. One of the remaining Vahkshi activates the reactor's security system despite it's damaged state, causing the entrance to become sealed shut. "Vakama!" Tidus cried out. Jikanmu walked forward, remaining calm in spite of the situation. Channeling energy from the Vahi to his spear, the Chronoscepter, Jikanmu created a reverse time-field around the entrance, reopening it for Tidus, Yuna, and Nokama to pass through. "Get inside you three," Jikanmu ordered, "MOVE!!" The humans and Nokama did just that with Jikanmu going in after them, allowing the door to close again. As the others rushed to Vakama's side, Jikanmu uses his his weapon's power to make both Vahkshi stop moving completely, phasing himself behind one and slashing it in two before hurling the Chronoscepter at the other one, striking it's body and pinning it to the wall, destroying it. "Ok," Jikanmu announced, "now that we got the guards out of the way, we split up, and look for anything that can point us to the main generator. Yuna, you and Nokama come with me up the elevator." The females head to the elevator with Jikanmu, who then says to Tidus and Vakama, "You two stay and search this floor... and be on your guard in case more Vahkshi show up!" Jikanmu and the females would encounter some opposition upstairs before they get to a computer room with a shelf full of color coded books nearby. For some strange reason, the main computer screen was turned off, lacking a visible power switch, and the books were out of place. For her past gullibility, Yuna quickly theorized that the disorganization purposely constituted a puzzle of sorts. She and Nokama reorganize the colored books in their proper order, and the computer screen turned on. "Just as I thought!" Yuna said, smiling. "Now let's see where the main generator is." Jikanmu says while going on the computer. Yuna wanted to ask Jikanmu about the writing on the books she and Nokama just sorted out, but she did not wish to interrupt Jikanmu, seeing how busy he is, so she asked Nokama, "Excuse me, but what are the markings on the books we went through?" " "That's Matoran writing, Yuna," Nokama answered, "and if I remember correctly, at least one of them had something like Shinra Files written on the front cover." Shinra; why does that name sound so familiar, Yuna wondered. Back downstairs, Tidus and Vakama happened upon a storage room full of energy tanks and crates full of supplies and foreign materials, some of which even contained fresh Protosteel, the rarest, strongest metal known to the denizens of the world where Metru Nui was located. "Protosteel! I could fashion us some stronger weaponry with this!" said Vakama as he inspected the crate full of the rare metal, "but who on this planet could have known how to make it?" Upon checking out the energy tanks, Tidus heard the familiar, hallowed sound of pyreflies emanating from the contents, which Vakama found a bit unsettling. Neither of them had any idea that whoever built this reactor had somehow developed the technology to siphon energy from Farplane, the realm of the Afterlife for the people of Spira, for everyday use, as it would appear. Their quest aside, Vakama was too spooked by the pyreflies to ask Tidus or Yuna what they are, and they decided to meet up with the rest of their group, but not before Vakama picked up a discarded blaster to compensate for his disc launcher's slower firing rate, and stashed a single crate of Protosteel behind some machinery near the entrance, knowing he can only carry one crate out with him when leaving the reactor. "Did you find out where the generator is?" Vakama asked Jikanmu. The Toa of Time replied, "It's on the topmost floor, and fortunately, we can take the elevator there. What about yourselves?" "All we found was a storage room filled with energy tanks emitting an eerie sound." The same sound you'd hear when Yuna used to perform the Sendings, Tidus thought, as a chill runs down his spine. "That's the energy the people who manage this reactor siphoned off from this planet's Lifestream." said Jikanmu as he led the party into the elevator and took them up to the main generator room, which, for some strange reason, looked like the cockpit for Vegnagun, a weapon of mass destruction created at the height of the Machina War. Yuna attempted to approach the controls, since the instructions are written in Spiran script, with which she was fairly familiar with, but Jikanmu stuck his arm out in front of her, saying, "I'll take care of it!" "Why you?" Nokama asked, "Won't you need me to help translate the instructions for you?" "Trust me, I can make out these writings easily." Jikanmu assured her as he inputted a command to reverse the flow of energy back into Ankoku Nui, and then spoke to Vakama, "Now all we need is a time bomb, or some explosive device that'll give us time to get out before it goes off." "I know just the thing!" said Vakama, who began gathering elemental energy to perform a Nova Blast, it appeared to Nokama. Is he crazy, she thought. "What's he doing?" A concerned Tidus asked Nokama. "I think he's going to use a Nova Blast on the generator, but that's only to be used in the most dire circumstances!" Indeed, a Nova Blast is meant to be a last-ditch effort against formidable opponents, both due to it's destructive power, and the fact that Vakama would need to recharge his energies after using it. Instead, however, Vakama channeled all that energy into a blank Kanoka disc and planted it onto the generator. "Let's move!" Vakama ordered, "If my calculations are correct, we've no more than ten minutes before it goes off!" But as they made a run for the elevator, a trio of a red Vahkshi, a blue Vahkshi, and a green Vahkshi stood in their way. It was high time to put that new blaster to the test, Vakama thought as he drew it from the holster attached to his thigh, and it proved to be much faster and more precise than his Kanoka Disc Launcher, hitting the blue Vahkshi in the eye and the red one in the chest. Nokama roundhouse kicks the staggering red Vahkshi off the bridge and down the shaft as Tidus slid underneath the green one and ran his sword down it's back. The blue Vahkshi blindly tries to hit Jikanmu, who grabs it by the arm and brings his elbow down on it before disabling the enemy. The group gets inside the elevator with about six minutes to spare by now, but as they descend, a white and black Vahkshi cuts the cable wire with it's claw. Everyone inside but Jikanmu sticks their arms out against the walls as the elevator comes crashing down, and the Toa of Time emits a time slowdown field around it before cutting the door open. "On my mark, we all jump out, alright?" Jikanmu told the party, as they waited for the entrance floor to come into view. "Now!!" They all jump out the elevator and land on the floor just before the time field wears off and the elevator crashes to a halt. "Head for the exit!" Vakama barked as they mowed down a couple more Vahkshi on they way. With the entrance just inches away, Vakama remembered the Protosteel crate and retrieves it from it's hiding place just as a blue Vahkshi tried to seize it. "Hands off!" Vakama cried, slugging the robot before performing a judo throw on it, reclaiming the crate and running towards the exit entry door, before a green Vahkshi gives chase. Realizing he can't outrun, much less fight the robot with the Protosteel in hand, Vakama throws the crate at Tidus and Nokama's direction. "Catch!" The Toa of Fire instructed, and they stop just long enough to do that, with Yuna shooting at the Vahkshi in front of them, followed by Jikanmu sweeping them aside with his spear, sending them falling down the cracks in the ground. Vakama outpaced the green Vahkshi following him, and Yuna fires at it until it stumbles before continuing on. The party made it out of the reactor safely with mere seconds to spare before the energy-infused disc back at the generator explodes, reducing the whole reactor to rubble and taking out every remaining Vahkshi within the vicinity! "Good riddance to bad rubbish!" Vakama declared victoriously. "Hopefully now, this planet can begin to thrive again..." "But is it over yet?" Nokama wondered, expecting Jikanmu to say their quest is far from finished. But the Toa of Time just leaves them there, walking off to the west. "Well, you were right, Tidus," a halfhearted Nokama says to him, "He is rude..." "Perhaps, but we can only hope his heart's in the right place." Vakama says to his sister. Tidus just stood silently, and looking out in the direction Jikanmu was going until he vanished into the distance. Later in the early evening, the Toa, Tidus, and Yuna made camp near the border between Do-Mura and Po-Kassho, where Tidus told the Toa more about himself and Yuna as they rested up for the remainder of their journey. It was an almost nostalgic feeling, for Yuna and Tidus to be together like this with their new friends, as if they were at the ruins of Zanarkand along with the rest of Yuna's former guardians once more. It would take some time for Vakama to regain full power, and then the group will be good to go to Do-Mura, where they had to assume Jikanmu was going. "You know, maybe it'd help Vakama get his juice back if you used Sleep on on him... or is that sorta Lulu's thing?" Probably not, but either way, Yuna giggled and said, "You are so considerate, thinking about our new friends, after all they've done for us. What we've all been through together..." "Yeah. We'll find their brothers, save Ankoku Nui, and then we'll all go home." Tidus assured his sweetheart, "I promise..." With that said, Tidus got up and glanced at Vakama, resting his back against a rock as if he were taking a power nap to speed up the recovery of his elemental energy, and then stared out at the ravaged lands of Do-Mura just beyond the horizon, contemplating on what the future may hold for him and his allies. Allusions to Final Fantasy X * Rikku, Lulu, Kimahri, Lord Braska, Jecht, Auron, Sin, and Vegnagun are mentioned. * Nokama and Tidus explore the underwater temple of Ga-Ao like the Baaj temple. * Tidus compares Bismarck to Sin after it's defeat, as both are whale-like in appearance. * In Po-Kassho, Tidus mentions Cactaurs, which are found and fought in the similarly desert-like region of Bikanel. * The types of things Tidus asks if Jikanmu could spit are all Ronso Rage abilities used by Kimahri. * The campfire scene at the end of the segment is a throwback to the "media res" opening scene of Final Fantasy X, where the entire party had reached the Zanarkand Ruins. * The main generator room's resemblance to Vegnagun's cockpit is a reference to how Vegangun was modified to try and harness the Farplane's energy, according to the Final Fantasy X-2 Ultimania. Trivia * Nokama is the second character in the english version who called Sin by its Japanese name, ("Shin", シン), after Cid in the first game. This is due in part to the fact that if Bionic Fantasy were to become a game/movie with voiceovers, Gokai wants the Bionicle characters to speak english and the FF characters speaking Japanese, yet still somehow understanding each other, a la Marvel vs Capcom. * An inscription in Matoran script found underwater reads "Bmyo Famm", which is translated from "play well"(what LEGO means in english) in Al Bhed, as an easter egg. ** In an ironic coincidence, the Matroan Macku's former name is also "LEGO" translated to Al Bhed. * Judging from the Matoran script on the "Shinra Files" series of books, it would seem that someone from the Matoran Universe helped Shinra and/or his descendants out with confirming the former's theory of harnessing energy from the Farplane, before arriving on Ankoku Nui to conduct such experiments himself. All this would ultimately prove true in the final segment. * The room with the colored book puzzle is somewhat an homage to the library on the 62nd floor of the Shinra Building in Final Fantasy VII, where the player had to put books back in their proper section according to subject to decipher a secret code needed to earn a special Materia. * The events of Final Fantasy X-2.5 ~ The Price of Eternity are not brought up, despite having passed at this point for Tidus and Yuna. This might suggest that (most of) the events of the novel have been a dream sequence or erased/altered/non-canon because of Scryptorek's experiments, further playing up on it's generally vague nature. ** The experiments may also be the reason behind the instabilities in the Farplane that led to the return of Sin, among other things. *** If this is the case, then it's possible that Sin was beckoned for the ulterior purpose for sending Tidus and Yuna to Ankoku Nui, whether they defeat it again or not. Category:User:GokaiWhite Category:Stories